“Along with trades and service academies, the wider Youth Guarantee will offer a total of 12,930 fees-free places for 16- and 17-year-olds in 2013. That means the Government is a year ahead of its commitment to have 12,500 Youth Guarantee places by 2014.

“An additional $37.7 million operating funding over the next four years provides 3,000 more places at levels 1-3 for our young people in institutes of technology, polytechnics, wananga, and private training establishments.